Potential therapeutic effects of a traditional Chinese formulation, BJ-JN, on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the anti-fibrotic effects of BJ-JN (a traditional Chinese formulation) in CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats.


METHODS
BJ-JN (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) was administrated via gavage once a day starting from the fifth weeks after the CCl(4) treatment for subsequent 9 weeks. Evaluated with liver and spleen index, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hyaluronic acid (HA), nitric oxide (NO), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as well as with histopathologic changes of liver. The proliferation and collagen synthesis of primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) from normal, model and BJ-JN (2.0 g/kg) treatment rats were examined with (3)H-TdR and (3)H-Pro uptake assay, respectively.


RESULTS
BJ-JN (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) effectively reduced the elevated levels of liver and spleen index, serum ALT, AST, NO, HA, and hepatic MDA contents, enhance the reduced hepatic SOD activity in CCl(4)-treated rats. The histopathological analysis suggested that BJ-JN obviously alleviated the degree of liver fibrosis induced by CCl(4). The proliferation and collagen synthesis of HSC isolated from BJ-JN (2.0 g/kg) treatment rats were remarkably inhibited.


CONCLUSIONS
Those results suggest BJ-JN has a protective and therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis induced by CCl(4), which might be associated with its anti-oxidative activity, inhibitory activity on HSC proliferation and collagen synthesis.
Zou
Yu-Hong
YH
School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Yang
Yan
Y
Li
Jun
J
Wu
Qing
Q
Li
Wei-Ping
WP
Lu
Jin-Tao
JT
Roberts
Michael S
MS
D000818:Animals; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects
C516401:BJ-JN formulation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride